New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-29
ADDRESS OF THE COMMANDMENT CHIEF

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ADDRESS OF THE COMMANDER-IN- CHIEF.
GENERAL FAIRCHILD ON THE INTERESTS THE
oRDER-THE PENSION QUESTION.
The address of General Fairchild COMMANDMENT
-hief Of the Grand Army, &c the National Encamp
mont shows that the Order had June 80, 1887, the
following membership: In good standing 336,56o
suspended % 22O; by delinquent reports, 1882
grand total 372674, increase In the last quarter
of 1876 and IN the last five quarters of 1885. in
1880 the whole number of members was only e0,634.
During the year 3,i06 members died. The amount
expended In Charity during the year ending In March.
1851 was S253,854 43. This money dsbursed
to 1901 comrades and their families and 5000
others assisted 1t ia estimated that private
unrecorded charities amounted to much more. The
COMMANDMENT. Chief says:
The loyal people of this country are with us heart
and soul, and on their strong love always de-
pend for support so long as we keep strictly within
founded and those who have, with rare good judg.
Tent fosered this society We have thus far followed
the comrades In The future be seduced INFO for
hidden fields. We Invite from tho people OF this
that 1t will DO found thus far, we'll within the lines
laid down by our ruies and regulations.
General Fairchild recommends that Mr.. Joseph W.
Drexel's offer TO transfer the Grant Cottage Mt.
Nc Gregor to the Grand Army be referred 10 the in
coming COMMUNICATIVE Chief and Council of Admins
raton, with authority to accept 1t IL the details of
trusteeship and management can be satisfactorily
arranged He recommends the encampmcnt to Sc
ect o c0mrade TO write a complete history Of tho
Grand Army, and advises the establishment of per-
manent National Headquarters at some convenient
spot.
THE PENSION QUESTION
Upon hesubIect pensions the Commander-in- Chief
expresses himself as follows.
BY the creed OF the Grand Army of the Republic
every one of It's members has promised ITO assist
lection, and to extend needfu aid TO the widows and
orphans OF those who have fallen" And the COM
rades have, for more than twenty years. been active
and Jealous in their efforts to keep that promise In
letter and spirit This charitable work has Dc
carried on publicly. There has been no secrecy, Al
men who cared to know have been fully and constantly
informed of the steps taken for the relief OF those
whom we promised to assist Very many thousands
of dollars have been expended annually by Posts, In
giving tenn orary aid to such as have nom time 10
time needed It, Large sums have been expended by
comrades privately. without the Intervention of Posts
for the same purpose We have sought aid from the
United states Government In The shape OF general
pensions, and asked for further aid by insisting on
the Increase OF pensions TO certain classes We have
INSTANTLY for many years inquired Into the pressing
OF our comrades, and have by every honorable
means within orr reach, sought to Influence the Con.
Of the United States to grant the relief their
responded to this call In many instances,
Ia shown by tho pension laws now on the statute
boobs. We have also sought to influence state legis
lat!on so that aid shoud be granted TO those who
to pensions 'F This and has aSan 4Rs Cf Ts a entitled
soldiers and Orphans Homes Of laws giving to ex-
soldiers preference In the CIVIL service
srecIM tax for tho temporary relief Of
INDECENT soldiers and their families All members of
exception, have given an outspoken and emphatic
approval Of these efforts to keep our promise to needy
comrades and their families For this work, more
than any other has the Grand Army of the Republic
livcd-thls than all else has ennobed Its life
for this cause tho Grand Army Will, in the future,
give its earnest endeavor-and, by reason OF these
persistent endeavors, it will be remembered Ana
when all tho old soldiers dead and gone the memo
the Grand Will be rcvefed because OF TINS
work.
| have said that ali Grand Army with the ap-
tho people generally, have been enlisted In
this Of an shades of political belief have
been foremost in these efforts, and never until thls
year, has II entered the mind Of any welLlnformed
man charge that this zeal in behalf OF our needy
comrades of political partisan character The
Grand Army of the Republic will never consent than
this question pensions shall DO cassed among those
which men commonly call partisan. IL has been for
.onSl encampments. Many resolutions and addresses
been adopted and published PETITIONS ana
OF tho newspapers OF the country have been enlisted
and, with few exceptions they have heretofore Deen
opinion or change OF method In orr ranks. We have
been for yeas OF one mind m considering
put simple justice that the United states
less than sl2 per month to all persons who served
three months In the military naval service OF
United states, during ,he Of the rebellion and
who have been honorably discharged therefIom, and
who now, who may hereafter be- suffering from
mental or physical disability not the result Of their
own vicious habits which incapacitaes them for the
performance Of manual labor. This has been pubcly
advocated by us, and all men, who cared to know,
have been fully aware Of our action, ami yet, until
recently have heard almost no objection TO such
measures. Because Others have changed their MINDS
We need therefore change ours Our path In this
direction has been straight We have dverged neither
to the right to tho left. We have seen before us
needy disabled comrades and shoulder to shoulder
we have marche way where relief for them could
DO won. We will not desst now. We will not DO
and Distress they thousand times moro than ever
our comrades. Because they need help, we Will draw
mates OF tho common pauper house, nor shall their
widows their orphan children, II we eau prevent t
We will continue to ask for aid until there Is no wall
OF sorrow heard from the destitute and disabled vet
Grams or their families.
WHAT THE GRAND ARMY ASKS
have rected and reiterated this well-known record
OF the Grand Army Of the Republic for the lnforma-
ton who may have been led to believe that
we have recently made new and unheard of demands
for pensions. That is not What We ask now,
In the way of general pensions, we have advocated
for years. We ask 1t because we believe 1t to BIO
right We do not think II is demanding too much.
Many OF our members honestly Of the opinion that
IL is not enough, but believe 1t to be more than
Justice demands and therefore we can conscenously
approve of such a its merits. When in
February last II thought proper that the public
should know the opinions of the members of the Grand
Army Of the Republic regarding the Dependent PEN
sion bl then pending, circular No was issued from
National Headquarters That circular asked for an ex-
preston Of the Judgment Of the members for against
the bill. The measure was almost unanimously In
dorsed. Greatly to our disappointment aud regret,
the bill was finally defeated 1t was said by some
that there had not been fair expression OF opinion
gwen by tho members Of the Grand Army OF tho Re-
public While that assertion was not well founded,
the National Pension Committee, when IL was deter
mined 10 frame another bill for presentation to Con-
gros decided TO place tho proposed measure before
eac post and ask for vote thereon, to the end that
no man could truly say no does not know with rea-
sonable certainty what tho eKsoldlers think Of IT,
That vote has been taken In majority OF the posts,
and tho measure has been almost unanimously APP
proved venture TO say that nineenths OF the vet
Grams favor this bill It's general merits II no other
can be obtained ] believe this relief Will DO granted
at the next session Of Congress, because has the
approval Of . large majority Of the people
know that many Of you favor another and .
broader measure Of reof which will embrace all who
served certain length Of time and show an hon
orable discharge commonly called tho Service PEN
son BILL am not hcre to argue against that - al
ultimate measure I now only join Ia urging you "
request Congress- tD give Immediate relief to those VINO
cannot care themselves. Lot us not ASK tho us